Modelling six sustainable development transformations in Australia and their accelerators, impediments, enablers, and interlinkages

Abstract

There is an urgent need to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and recent research has identified six critical transformations. It is important to demonstrate how these transformations could be practically accelerated in a national context and what their combined effects would be. Here we bridge national systems modelling with transformation storylines to provide an analysis of a Six Transformations Pathway for Australia. We explore important policies to accelerate progress, synergies and trade-offs, and conditions that determine policy success. We find that implementing policy packages to accelerate each transformation would boost performance on the SDGs by 2030 (+23% above the baseline). Policymakers can maximize transformation synergies through investments in energy decarbonization, resilience, social protection, and sustainable food systems, while managing trade-offs for income and employment. To overcome resistance to transformations, ambitious policy action will need to be underpinned by technological, social, and political enabling conditions.

How does the circular economy achieve social change? Assessment in terms of sustainable development goals

“…SE enterprises have pioneered the expansion of sustainable social development (Khaskheli et al, 2020). SE supposes a complementary concept of business efficiency and the social responsibility of private institutions, giving rise to a rational and social reconciliation of private action that makes them ideal for contributing to the achievement of the SDGs and their objectives, as well as being undertaken according to the SDGs established (Mozas, 2019;Flores, 2021;García-Saravia Ortiz-de-Montellano et al, 2023;Allen et al, 2024). This situation makes these enterprises fundamental agents for the sustainable development of current societies, helping them to develop social innovation processes that implement sustainable actions oriented toward the triple bottom line, i.e., economic, social, and environmental benefits (Hoang et al, 2021;Henry et al, 2019).…”